“Try and breathe through your mouth. It will help a little. This building is similar to your inn as it has a main door in front and a side door for the kitchen. They will probably come out through the front, but I would rather not take the chance that some may escape. Therefore, it is important that several of you watch the side door.”
He looked to Jon for confirmation and after a nod, continued. “I must prevent our enemy from noticing what we do here, so while you prepare and don your armor, I will set an illusion. When everyone is ready, I will send a momentary, sun-like ball of light inside to drive out several goblins at a time so we won’t have to fight them all at once.”
After receiving nods from all the men, he wrapped a cloth around his head to cover his mouth and nose and began a circuit of the area. When Aldan returned, the men were ready and in position. Derek had joined the group guarding the side door, while the Princess and Jon took up positions on either side of Aldan.
He thrust the staff high above his head and recited the words to the spell of illusion. A ripple of light spread out for a quarter of a mile in all directions. With the staff now pointed directly at the abandoned inn, a small ball of light shot into the open door. An explosion of sound erupted from inside and two misshapen creatures stumbled from the front entrance.
Black as midnight, the grotesque creatures ambled on four legs, the front legs longer than the rears. Large fangs protruded from a canine snout, with pig like eyes shut tightly against the brightness. The foul odor of rot and decay poured off of them in waves. They ran directly into the circle of waiting swords and pikes. A lucky pike thrust caught one of them in the throat. It lashed out at the other beast which gave the men an opening. Soon both goblins lay unmoving. The men raised their weapons in the air and shared a nervous smile at their success.
Bolstered by their success, Aldan sent a larger ball of light through the opening. More barks and howls followed as not only two fled through the front but a third crashed through the side door. Luck abandoned the group in front as one of the beasts reared up on its hind legs and lashed out with its knife like claws.
This time, Jon managed to get off a clear shot, but not before a villager went down with gashes across his chest. The others managed to surround the remaining goblin and bring it down from behind. They dragged the injured man up the road to where the herb woman waited with her potions. Odessa hurried to help, the freshly spilled blood fueling her healing gift.
Derek signaled they were unhurt, but it took several minutes for the group in front to pull together their courage and signal they were ready. Another ball of light sped towards the building. The shutters over the front windows burst off their hinges as the rest of the goblins swarmed out of the building. The men cried out in surprise and were completely overwhelmed, but the beasts had another goal. They headed straight for the young apprentice.
Aldan lost sight of Derek and the others as Jon and Odessa rushed forward to protect him from the goblins. It was a courageous move, but even the most experienced fighters would not have been able to stand against the six goblins bearing down on them.
Aldan quickly cast a protective spell around them, and then froze. He couldn’t let his friends be killed, but the moment he used his staff offensively, the illusion would fail. The enemy mage would have to be blind not to notice.
The decision was made for him as several crossbow bolts shrieked past and two of the beasts dropped with eye shots. Jon scored a solid strike on the shoulder of another, only to have it rear up and swat him aside like a child. Two arrows thudded into its chest. Howling, it fell backwards to the ground.
The Princess was forced back until Braun, the woodcutter, ran past and buried his ax in the head of the nearest goblin. Several other men appeared and attacked the remaining beasts.
Aldan stared wide eyed at the woodcutter and his men from the valley. What were they doing here? He didn’t know if he could thank them enough, but was willing to try.
Jon lurched to his feet and stumbled towards the back of the inn shouting, “Aldan, Derek is in trouble!”
Aldan spotted the last goblin as it loomed over Derek’s body and sent a ball of light directly at its face. Distracted by the sudden brightness, the beast hesitated, trying to shield its eyes. It was long enough.
Jon and the woodcutter arrived at the same time. Between ax and sword, the beast soon lay on the ground unmoving. A couple of the villagers still stood, arms no longer able to lift their weapons. The rest lay on the ground, some moaning, but too many made no sound at all.
Quickly untying the cloth around his face, Jon collapsed next to Derek and pressed it against the bloody gash in his partner’s side.
Derek weakly struck the ground with his fists and closed tear filled eyes. “I couldn’t save him, Jon!”
“Who?”
“The old man,” he answered, pointing to a pile of rags and bent armor. “He began yelling like a wild man and attacked the beasts by himself. By the time I dropped my crossbow and had my sword out, it was too late.”
“Never take responsibility for another man’s actions, Derek. He made his decision to sacrifice his life in an effort to save others. Now lie still. Someone will be here shortly to tend to your wounds,” Jon ordered, while secretly praying his suspicions about the Princess would prove true.
Chapter Fourteen ~An Unexpected Reunion
Aldan leaned heavily on his staff to keep from collapsing as the adrenalin dissipated like a morning mist. The illusion still held and he hadn’t detected any attempt to see through it. The timely arrival of Braun and his men only emphasized the realization of how close they had come to total disaster. Immediately, self-doubt about his abilities and the wisdom of what they’d just done, assailed his thoughts.
Odessa worked from one fallen man to another and spent only enough time and power to heal the most grievous of injuries before moving on to the next. In the end, Harold was the only villager who’d lost his life.
At first, the herb woman attempted to stay close to Odessa, but soon realized once the Princess had finished, the men were no longer in serious danger. She concentrated her skills on properly cleaning and bandaging the minor injuries left behind and gave the men a potion to help renew their strength and speed up healing.
Several of the villagers wandered the area, picking up dropped weapons, un-buckling their armor and loading everything into the wagon. They avoided the dead goblins and refused to even acknowledge the presence of their bodies. Those who were able got up and congregated at the wagon where the herb woman passed around a jug of wine. Most had let the cloth fall from mouth and nose, their senses overwhelmed to the point that the stench no longer registered.
Aldan forced a ragged breath and put his recriminations aside for the moment as he hurried toward the side of the inn, afraid of what he would find. Odessa and Jon were on the ground bent over the still body of the young guardsman. Neither appeared happy.
Before the young apprentice could reach his friends, Braun, hands clenched tightly at his side, stepped up and blocked Aldan’s path.
“An intelligent man would know better than to attack a large nest of goblins with only two fighters and a group of ill-trained villagers. What in the name of the Three Hells were you thinking, and why stand there doing nothing as they were being overwhelmed? Are you a coward, then?”
At first, Aldan shrank back from the woodcutter’s angry words, but then his own anger flared as he stood straight and glared back. Odessa, Jon and several villagers approached, ready to come to Aldan’s defense, but he raised a hand to forestall them. This was one time he needed to stand up for himself.
“An intelligent man would ask questions first to determine the truth before leveling hurtful accusations. And when it comes to facing an enemy mage more powerful than I, you’re right, I am a coward.” Aldan leveled his staff and continued to walk forward. “Out of my way Woodcutter, I have a friend to attend to.”
Braun stepped aside, surprised by the level of comman
d in the young man’s voice. The others quickly surrounded him and began to tell the story of why they were here and Aldan’s role during the fight. The woodcutter soon regretted his harsh words and knew that his wife would not be pleased when she found out his quick tempered tongue had caused trouble once again.
Aldan knelt next to the ravaged body of his young friend, dismayed by the extent of Derek’s injuries. Frustration almost turned to grief until he saw the slow movement of the guardsman’s chest. There must be something he could do! Unbidden, a page from his tome appeared in his mind with a simple spell to transfer some of his own strength into another. Aldan quickly cast the spell and then laid his hand on Derek’s chest, monitoring the flow of power.
Derek began to stir. His eyelids slowly fluttered open and he stared up at the apprentice. “I guess I still have a lot to learn about fighting.”
“You and me both,” Aldan agreed, a relieved smile lighting up his face. “The important thing is that we both survived and will do better in the future.”
“That makes three of us,” a soft voice announced from behind. Odessa stood with her eyes downcast. “I also learned a valuable lesson. I secretly believed that magic would somehow make me invincible, but coming face to face with those goblins shattered that dream.” She knelt and gently placed a hand on Derek’s leg. “It takes more than power to heal. It also takes knowledge and experience, which I don’t have. I’m sorry, Derek, but you are still in danger until we can get you back to the village and I can consult my book of spells.”
Braun appeared next to the Princess and studied Aldan’s face for a moment before speaking.
“I owe you an apology, Mage Aldan, you were right to rebuke me. I should have realized you wouldn’t attempt such a dangerous mission had the need not been so dire.”
He waited until the rest of his men joined the group. “It’s obvious that we of the valley owe you our lives. Apparently, we were next on the goblin’s menu.”
“Is that why you are here?” Jon asked.
“Yes. Tracks were discovered around most of our homes and a group of us left early this morning to follow them, which led us here.” He turned back to the young apprentice. “Aldan, ask a boon of me and I will do my best to accomplish it.”
Aldan stood to face the woodcutter when a sudden inspiration made him smile. “First, Master Braun, I want your promise that you will tell your wife everything that transpired here.” He was rewarded by the grimace on Braun’s face. “Secondly, there are a number of abandoned farms in this area that need attending, and any remains that are found given a proper burial. I’m not familiar with the laws of this kingdom but people will have to be found to take over those farms.”
One of the villagers volunteered, “We can help with that, m’lord. Some of the folks round here were known to us.”
Braun nodded to the man in thanks. “Aye, it will be as you have requested. Now let’s get Derek here loaded into the wagon and on his way back to the village. The rest of us will stay and clean up this mess.”
The company turned as one toward the sound of trotting horses and the clatter of wagons. Everyone’s spirits lifted at the promise of transportation back home. Several men headed for the stables in search of hay to line the wagon bed for Derek. Braun and his men began the arduous task of dragging the dead goblins over to the entrance of the inn.
A two wheeled farmers cart and two wagons appeared on the road. The young man who had run back to the village, jumped down from the cart. Before he could reach them, he bent over retching, overcome by the stench.
The driver of the first wagon gathered up her skirts and began the difficult task of climbing down from the wagon. One of the men rushed to help her. Safely on the ground, she tucked several stray silver locks back under her bright red scarf, pulled a cane from the wagon and searched the faces of the men.
She carefully made her way toward the side of the inn, barely glancing at the grotesque bodies of the dead goblins. She walked unerringly to the covered body that lay not far from Derek and the others. Using the cane, she slowly lowered herself to the ground, bent over and pulled the tarp away from the face of the man hidden underneath.
With great care, she brushed the blood soaked hair out of his eyes and kissed him on the forehead. Silence fell as some of the men had to look away, while others could not. Odessa wrapped her arms around Aldan and buried her face in his chest, sobbing quietly.
“Harold, you old fool,” the old woman murmured. “You just had to prove yourself one last time, didn’t you?”
She glanced up at the men standing there. “Did he die bravely?”
Derek forced an answer past his own tears. “He saved the lives of several men, m’lady, including my own. A braver man I have never known.”
She nodded and looked over to where the men had started to pile the dead goblins. “I want you to place Harold’s body on top of that pile before the fires are lit. Forever will the spirits know that my man rose above these beasties and proved himself this day.”
They soon had Derek safely loaded into a wagon and sent the companions on their way. The rest of the men and wagons followed in quick order. It was decided that the inn should be burned also since it was defiled and no longer fit for use. The old woman stayed behind along with Braun and his men to watch the fire blaze until nothing was left but ashes. By that time, the young man returned with his cart to take her home.
Chapter Fifteen ~A Life Freely Given
Jon pushed their team of horses as hard as he dared. Despite Odessa’s and Aldan’s best efforts, Derek’s condition continued to deteriorate. Aldan shouted over the drumming of the horses and the rattle of the wagon, “Can you save him?”
“I won’t know until we return and I can consult my book of spells. Just keep him alive and I will do my best.” Secretly, she feared that the amount of blood required to heal him would be more than any of them could afford to give. Draining one of life to save another was an idea she refused to consider.
Upon arriving back at the Hiltop inn, several of the men rushed out to help carry Derek upstairs to his room. Aldan collapsed on the other bed and fell into a fretful sleep, unable to continue channeling strength into the young guardsman.
Odessa grabbed her book and after a quick discussion with the spirit inside, chose a number of spells to attempt. Positioning herself over Derek’s lifeless body, she drew her small knife prepared to shed the blood required for the spells.
Jon, who had been hovering close by, reached out and gently held her wrist. “Far be it for me to question this new power of yours, Highness, but if its blood you be needn’, use mine.”
She searched his eyes and found nothing but acceptance and a determination to do whatever was necessary to save his friend. The Princess nodded and showed him exactly where and how deep to pierce his hand. They spent the next several hours in failed attempts, to the point where she added her blood to his but to no avail.
A cry of anguish jerked Aldan up from the depths of his exhaustion to find both Odessa and Jon collapsed on the floor.
Face awash with tears, Odessa struggled to sit up. “It’s no use, Aldan! He is mortally wounded and the only source of enough power to heal him will be the sacrifice of another man’s life.”
“Or a woman’s,” came a soft voice from the door.
Aldan bent down to help Odessa and Jon to their feet as the silver haired woman moved slowly into the room, leaning heavily on her cane.
“If it’s a life you need, mine is to give.” Glancing at the two men, she continued. “Why don’t you boys do what boys do best and go eat some of Garth’s fine supper. Me and m’ lady need to talk.”
Jon leaned heavily on Aldan as they left and closed the door softly behind them. Odessa helped the old woman to a spot on the bed and sat beside her. Unable to face her, she stared at nothing and spoke in a voice empty of emotion. “I hate this.”
“That is good. When you lose the hate, beware. You will be a danger to all.”
“You know of Blood Mages?”
“Aye, I’ve known a few. Some good, some bad. All depends on the woman behind the power.”
Odessa raised her head and saw the truth and conviction in the old woman’s eyes. “I don’t even know your name, yet you are willing to give up your life to me. Why?”
“It’s Maxine, but Harold always called me Max. A joke to him.” As tears gathered on her face, she continued. “We was alone in this world. Without him, I have no life. His death had meaning, and I wish mine to have meaning also. Come, you must do this for your young friend.”
Resigned, Odessa nodded and sat Maxine in the chair next to Derek’s bed. With her knife carefully positioned between the woman’s ribs, she opened up to the spirit of the book, drew a ragged breath, and pushed.
* * *
Downstairs in the common room, Aldan sensed more than saw a darkness in the air around him that slowly brightened. It was done. He arose to go and comfort the Princess, but worried over the affect this would have on her spirit. On the bright side, if the healing worked as well on Derek as it had on him, they would be able to leave soon. Now how was he going to explain the dead body of the old woman?
Clearing his throat, he addressed the men in the room. “Some of you may have already guessed that Odessa is more than she appears. She recently discovered an ability that allows her to use the power of shed blood to heal. However, sometimes the injuries are so severe a sacrifice is required. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Harold’s widow volunteered to be that sacrifice to save the life of our friend. Please help me honor her for what she has done.”
Jon was still unsteady as they climbed the stairs, followed by the village men who’d volunteered to remove the corpse. Another rushed to bring up a pair of buckets filled with hot water, as requested by the apprentice. Odessa stood staring out of the window when they entered; the book clutched tightly in her hands. The villagers regarded her with awe and a little fear as they gently removed Maxine’s body.
The Princess and the Apprentice Page 8